THE WINNER
AFTER SUBMITING THE REPORT TO CHIEF SHE CAME TO THE WAITING AREA. FEMALE DOCTOR FROM THE TESTING AND DESIGNING TEAM WAS THERE. AELLA MOVED TOWARD HER.
“IS YOU OKAY...?” SHE ASKED HER SMILING FAINTLY TOWARD HER.
“WELL I’M GOOD. THANKS.”MS. PETERSON REPLIED.
AFTER SILENCE OF FEW MOMENTS, AELLA MOVED TOWARD THE EXIT GATE.
“EXCUSE ME MS. AELLA...?” MS. PETERSON STOPPED HER. AELLA TURNED TOWARD HER WHILE SHE WAS STRUGGLING TO GET TO HER.
“YES...?” AELLA ASKED.
“I’M SORRY.” SHE SAID LOOKING DOWN AT THE FLOOR.
“WHAT...? WHY...?” AELLA SAID TAKEN ABACK BY THE WORDS.
“FOR BEING SO RUDE. I’M VERY EMBARRASED ABOUT THAT. I’M REALLY SORRY.” SHE WAS RELLY TURNING RED OUT OF EMBARRASMENT. SHE LOOKED INTO AELLA EYES AND CONTINUES.
“AND THANKS FOR SAVING MY LIFE AND HELP ME GETTING RID OF MY PHOBIA.” SHE SMILED AWKWADLY AT AELLA.
“YEAH. IT’S OKAY.” AELLA REPLIED WITH A SERIOUS FACE.
“WE GOT THE SCAN.” SOL SAID TO AELLA. AELLA SMILED AT MS. PETERSON.
“TAKE CARE.” AELLA SAID HOLDING HER HAND OUT TOWARD MS. PETERSON.
“YES. I WILL. AND LET ME KNOW IF I CAN HELP YOU WITH SOMETHING.” MS. PETERSON SAID SHAKING HAND WITH AELLA.
“YEAH. I WILL.” AELLA SAID BLINKING HER EYES AND MOVING TOWARD THE EXIT DOOR.
“YOU HAVE GOT A TEXT FROM DOCTOR AURTHER.” HER A-BOT TOLD HER.
“WHAT IS THIS...?” AELLA ASKED HER.
“HE WANTED TO SEE YOU. HE HAS ASKED YOU TO VISIT HIM WHEN YOU HAVE TIME.” HER A-BOT REPLIED.
“IS THERE ANYTHING FOR ME ON THE DESK TODAY...?” SHE CHECKED GETTING IN THE CAR.
“NO.” HER A-BOT REPLIED.
“OKAY. LET ME KNOW IF ANYTHING OCCURS.” AND SHE MOVED TO MEET AURTHER.
“DOCTOR AURTHER IS WAITING FOR YOU.” HIS ASSISTANT TOLD AELLA AS SHE MOVED TOWARD HIS OFFICE.
WITH A NOD, SHE STANDS IN FRONT OF DOOR. SHE LOOKED AT THE DOOR AND TOOK A DEEP BREATH TO CALM HERSELF.
“YOUR HEART RATE IS BACK TO NORMAL. YOU CAN GO IN.” SOL SAID TERMINATING HER CONNECTION WITH AELLA.
SHE PUSHED THE BUTTON AND TURNED THE KNOB AND THERE HE WAS.
“GOOD EVENING AURTHER.” AELLA SAID LOOKING AT HIM.
“DO YOU THINK IT IS A GOOD EVENING AELLA...?” HE SAID IN A LISTLESS TONE.
“ARE YOU ANGRY...?” AELLA ASKED HIM STANDING IN FRONT OF HIM.
“AH! FORGET IT. TELL ME ABOUT YESTERDAY.” HE SAID LOOKING AT HER AND POINTING TOWARD CHAIR. AELLA SAT ON THE CHAIR CROSSONG HER LEGS AND TAKING A HOLD OF GLASS PAPER WEIGHT.
“IT’S NOTHING THAT YOU SHOULD BE BOTHERED ABOUT.”
“WHAT...? OH AELLA! DON’T BE A KID.” HE SAID WHINING.
“MY WHOLE LAB IS GONE. AN IMPORTANT BELONGING IS GONE. AND YOU ARE SAYING THAT I SHOULD NOT BE WORRIED ABOUT IT...?”
“WELL. WHAT MORE CAN I SAY...?” SHE SAID PLAYING WITH THE PAPERWEIGHT.
HE LOOKED AT HER WITH A LONG FACE AND THEIR GAZE MET.
“YOU ALREADY HAVE RECEIVED THE REPORT FROM CHIEF.”
“BUT I WANT TO HEAR IT FROM YOU.” HE INSISTED.
“OKAY. BUT YOU HAVE TO GIVE ME SOMETHING IN RETURN.” SHE SAID LOOKING AT HIS BOOKSHELF. HE FOLLOWED HER GAZE AND SHUFFLED TOWARD THE SHELF.
“NOBODY CAN WIN AGAINST YOU.” HE SAID TAKING OUT A BOOK AND HANDING IT OVER TO AELLA. SHE LOOKED AT THE BOOK FOR A WHILE AND PUT IT ON THE TABLE.
“IT WAS AN UNKNOWN ATTACK. NO SURVIVORS FROM ATTACKERS SIDE.NOT MORE THAN TEN CASUALI....”
“I ALREADY KNOW THAT.” HE SAID INTURRUPTING HER. “I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THIS WHOLE MATTER.”
A CORNER OF HER LEFT LIP CURVED UPSIDE.
“FROM WHAT I KNOW....ALL THE TRAITORS WERE DEAR AT THE END OF THE DAY. IT WAS A WELL PLANNED ATTACK.” SHE SAID LOOKING AT AURTHER. HE NODDED PUTTING HIS HAND ON HIS TEMPLES...CAREFULLY LISTENING TO AELLA.
“THERE WERE NINE PEOPLE. ALL WERE EX-SF SOIDIERS. ALL WERE ORPHANS, NO FAMILY OR RELATIVES. NO ANY SUSPECIOUS BEHAVIOUR IN PAST. BUT...”
“BUT...” HE SAID EXCITEDLY.
“BUT ALL OF THEM WERE REALED TO MR. ROSS, CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF SCIENTIST AT J95 TECHNOLOGIES.” SHE CONTINUED AS HE LOOKED AT HER FURIOUSLY IN DISBELIEF.
“IN LAST MONTH ALL OF THEM MET HIM AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS WHERE THEY HAD TALK ABOUT UPCOMING NATIONAL SURVEY OF TEACHNOLOGY AND HE ASKED THEM FOR HELP.”
“BUT....WHY WOULD THEY BE HELPING HIM....?” HEASKED HER.
“H-BOT FORCES RECRUITMENT.” SHE REPLIED ROLLING THE PAPERWEIGHT ON THE EDGE OF TABLE.
“WHAT...?”
“THEY ALL WERE DECLINED WHEN H-BOTS WERE RECRUITED IN THE FORCES.”
“AND...?”
“YOU WERE THE SHORTLISTING OFFICER. THEY HAD A TOUGH TIME SURVIVING THIS HIGH TECH WORLD WITH LOWER STATUS.”
“AND FOR THIS SINGLE REASON THEY TOOK OVER MY LAB...?” HE INQUIRED.
“DIDN’T YOU HEAR THE RUMOR...?” SHE REPLIED PUTTING THE PAPERWEIGHT ON THE EGE OF TABLE AND LAYING BACK IN THE CAHIR LAZILLY.
“WHAT KIND IF RUMOR...?”
“THAT YOU ARE MAKING YOUR OWN CLONES.” SHE REPLIED CLOSING HER EYS.
“WHAT KIND OF NON-SENSE IS THIS...? WHY WOULD I BE MAKING MY OWN CLONES...?” HE SAID ANGRILY.
AELLA LOOKED AT HIS FEET AND HE GOT IT.
“REGENERATION PROJECT.” HE SAID IN DISBELIEF.
“EXECTLY. THERE WERE RUMORS THAT WITH THE HELP OF CLONES...YOU ARE WORKING ON MAKE A REGENRATION TEACHNOLOGY. THEY WERE HELPING HIM IN GETTING THAT SO THAT HE CAN GET AHEAD OF YOU.” SHE OPENED HER EYES AND SAT STARIGHT LOOKING INTO AURTHER’S EYS.
“THAT BASTURD!”
“CALM DOWN AURTHER. THINK ABOUT IT...WHAT IF THEY HAVE GIVEN HIM THAT CHIP. YOU WOULD HAVE DOOMED.” AELLA SAID WITH A COLD TONE.
“BUT STILL IT’S GONE NOW. AND I HAVE TO WORK AGAIN.” HE SAID LOOKING AT HER.
IT’S THE TIME.
“BUT AURTHER...WHY THAT CHIP WAS SO IMPORTANT...?” SHE ASKED HIM WITHOUT ANY HESITATION.
“WHAT...?” HE GOT DUMFONDED.
“WHY THAT CHIP WAS SO IMPORTANT...?” SHE ASKED HIM AGAIN.
“YOU MAY LEAVE NOW.” HE SAID GATHERING THE PAPERS ON HIS DESK. AELLA STOOD UP AND MOVED TOWARD THE DOOR.
THAT WAS NOT MY ANSWER.
“AELLA...HOW TO DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE CHIP...?” HE ASKED HER.
SHE TURNED TOWARD HIM.
“THOSE TRAITORS WERE SHOUTING ALL THIS.” SHE REPLIED.
“OH. I SEE. YOU CAN LEAVE.” HE SAID GETTING BACK TO THOSE SCATTERED PAPERS ON DESK.
SHE NODDED AND LEFT HIM ALONE.
“ON THE WAY TO HOME, SHE CONTACTED SOL.
“DID WE GET THAT...?” AELLA ASKED HER.
“YES...BOTH RETINAL AND FINGERPRINT SCAN WERE TAKEN SUCESSFULLY. WE CAN USE THEM TO ACCESS THE LABORATORY DATABASE.”
“BRILIANT. I WILL BE HOME IN FIFTEEN MINUTES.” AND SHE DISCONNECTED.
“GET THE NEXT CHIP READY FOR TOMORROW EVENING. WE WILL BE DOING TRANSPLANT ON 17TH OCTOBER.”